The Vernal Equinox arrives just after midnight on March 20 (12:30 am EDT to be exact), and Ostara bursts open like a brightly colored egg. Spring is here at last, and we can barely wait to run outside and frolic like bunnies in the tall, tender grass. But the Leo Gibbous Moon whispers, “Not just yet!” The Full Moon in Libra, just a few days from now, will reveal why you have been waiting—and why this spring may require more restraint and introspection than dancing amidst the heather.
Many planets turn retrograde during this Ostara season. Retrograde periods, when planets appear to be moving backward in their orbits, are common, but it is a little unusual to have quite so many turning retrograde within one month! It suggests that a little caution is in order, since we can’t see everything that’s waiting just around the corner.
Retrograde periods have a bad reputation, but each planet’s retrogrades are actually well-suited to certain things. When Saturn is retrograde (March 25 to August 13), switch your focus from outward achievement to inward, more heartfelt goal-setting. Mars’s retrograde periods (April 17 to June 29) can be frustrating if we try to move too fast, but they also teach us about conserving our energy to tackle life’s marathons as well as its sprints. Pluto retrograde (April 18 to September 26) encourages us to look within for the source of empowerment and to exercise the one real area of control available to us: control over the way we choose to look at things. And Mercury retrograde (April 28 to May 22) is an effective time to sit and download your thoughts into a journal or book, catch up on correspondence, or just sit quietly with your own thoughts.
Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in Libra – March 23, 2016
This Full Moon at 3.17 Libra marks the last eclipse in the signs of Aries and Libra until 2023. It’s the end of a year and a half cycle of adjusting to new realities in our closest relationships. When transiting Jupiter moves into Libra in September of this year, we begin to see the reward that comes from letting go of what isn’t working and moving in the direction of more balanced relationships.
This Full Moon chart features a conjunction of Venus and Neptune, opposed Jupiter and square Saturn. Relationships that begin under the influence of Venus and Neptune can too often dissolve when they meet with practical reality. The ones that begin now, however, benefit not only from the idealism and optimism of Venus, Jupiter, and Neptune, but (perhaps most importantly) the practical, sensible influence of Saturn as well. These are relationships that could very likely go the distance, because they balance faith and optimism with realistic expectations.
New Moon in Aries – April 7, 2016
This powerful New Moon at 18.04 Aries is conjoined Uranus and square Pluto, planets of revolutionary change. If you have been sleepwalking through your life, this New Moon will wake you up! The Sabian symbol for the New Moon degree echoes this exhilaration: “A magic carpet hovers over the depressing reality of everyday life in an industrial area.” Where is your magic carpet? Look for the house in your chart where 19 degrees of Aries falls!
The romantic spirit of the last Full Moon continues, with affectionate Venus in idealistic Aries trine passionate Mars in Sagittarius. When Mars turns retrograde on April 17, though, forward movement is delayed to some extent until after June 29. If your relationship is meant to be, you will both be content to wait it out and enjoy it all the more when everything is resolved.
The Energetic New Year
The calendar tells us that the New Year begins on January 1; but our experience of the natural world tells us that the Vernal Equinox, and the Aries New Moon, are when the energy of the New Year really kicks in.
Infuse your rituals and affirmations with passion and care at this New Moon—you’re planting seeds for an entire cycle of growth. Affirmations related to the Aries New Moon are deeply personal, but should generally include wishes related to:
Identity
Independence
Strength, bravery, and self defense
Ability to handle emergencies
Initiative and motivation
Putting Aries energy into the world can sometimes feel “selfish” to us. But unless we honor our own wishes and needs, we will not have a strong enough sense of self to enter into happy and rewarding collaborations with others.
Full Moon in Scorpio – April 21, 2016
After the sturm und drang of the thrilling Aries New Moon, the chart for the Full Moon in Scorpio looks relatively peaceful … other than Venus in a conjunction with Uranus and square Pluto. If you are in a relationship that has faltered, this could be a likely time to part. Venus and Uranus in combination demand absolute freedom and autonomy for each partner; the relationships that flourish under this influence are the ones that feel equal and balanced. This could also be an unstable time for finances, with sudden loss or a change in income or expenses. But it is also a good time to free ourselves from debt, unnecessary possessions, and the cycle of earning more just so we can spend more.
Rope Magic for Releasing Unhealthy Situations
If you are emotionally connected to someone, something, or a situation that is not healthy for you, the Scorpio Full Moon is the perfect time to set yourself free. At sunset before the Scorpio Full Moon, build a roaring fire. Get a thick piece of rope and tie it in the tightest possible knot. As you pull the rope tighter and tighter, visualize all of the emotions and memories that bind you to this person or situation. Envision every happy memory as well as the painful ones, in the most vivid possible detail. When you feel ready, throw the rope into the fire and watch as it burns, and address the person or situation directly, saying something like, “I release the love, pain, hate, fear, and all sentiments that bind me to you.”